


Sweetheart

by Spiderlass



Series: Tales From Duckburg! [4]
Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 2018), DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: ADHD Character, Autistic Character, Established Relationship, M/M, Meet the Family, Referenced Emotional Abuse, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character, adhd Gosalyn, adhd loopey, adhd ripcord, autistic Drake, autistic birdie, autistic/adhd Launchpad, drake has a whole bunch of parental issues, referenced ableism, the mcquacks are the best, trans male drake, trans woman loopey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-16 14:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20833247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spiderlass/pseuds/Spiderlass
Summary: Drake has faced his own crazed role model, aliens, and a crime lord in his short career as a superhero. He can totally handle meeting his future in-laws, right?Right?





	Sweetheart

**Author's Note:**

> Warning! This story contains mentions of ABA "therapy," depictions of an anxiety attack, flashbacks to instances of emotional abuse and dead-naming (no dead names are used but it's implied), and depictions of a meltdown. Reader discretion is advised.

Drake took a deep breath.

“Okay, Mallard, just- just keep it cool, keep it together. This is no big deal- I mean, people do this all the time! You’re just... just meeting your boyfriend’s parents. The parents that will, hopefully, be your in-laws one day.”

He swallowed hard, flapping his hands nervously.

“And- and sure, your parents were garbage people that treated you terribly, but that doesn’t mean that- that Launchpad’s parents are garbage people who treated him terribly! Not, not every ND person’s parents are awful, right?”

He paced back and forth.

“I mean, you’re gonna be Gosalyn’s dad soon, right? And- and  _ you’re _ not a garbage person who treats  _ her  _ terribly, right-?” Drake froze, eyes going wide. “Oh, god, what if I turn into a garbage person who treats her terribly?!”

His heartbeat pounded in his ears, and he groaned, putting his hands on either side of his head.

“Oh, this was a  _ terrible  _ idea! Why did I ever agree to any of this?! I’m not  _ nearly  _ together enough to- to be a good husband, or father, or son-in-law! I should never have left home-!”

“Uh, Dad? What are you doing?”

Drake yelped, flailing a bit before plastering a smile on his face as he turned to the doorway to the garage.

“Er, nothing!” He told Gosalyn as he leaned back onto his motorcycle. “I was just, uh, checking on my old ride  _ ack!” _

Drake stumbled as the bike fell to the ground, wincing as he heard a snap- probably the kickstand giving out. He chuckled sheepishly.

“Eh-heh... think we can convince Launchpad that the wind blew it over?”

Gosalyn rolled her eyes, then gave him a look.

“Dad, were you trying to pep yourself up to meet Pops’ parents again?”

“Whaaaaaat?” Drake said, looking away. “I, no, of- of course I wasn’t! That... that would be just so uncool, wouldn’t it?”

“Dad, I hate to tell you this, but you’re one of the  _ least  _ cool people I know. And one of my best friends is a giant nerd.”

“Hey, Huey is a perfectly nice young man!”

“Never said he wasn’t,” Gosalyn replied as she walked over to him.

“Yeah, well- hey, wait, how am  _ I  _ one of the least cool people you know? I’m literally a superhero!”

“Dad, I know two other superheroes, the richest duck in the world, a tiny ninja, a ghost butler, a cyborg pilot, whatever Mrs. Beakley is, oh, and a literal  _ teenage witch.  _ The bar for coolness is set  _ pretty  _ high.”

“... okay, fair point.” Drake sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I-I know it’s silly to be so nervous, I just... what if they don’t like me?”

Gosalyn scoffed.

“Dad, come on, these are the people that raised  _ Pops  _ that we’re talking about here. They’re gonna love you just as much as Pops and I do.”

Drake couldn’t help but perk up at that, his heart still warming at hearing Gosalyn say that she loved him even though it had already been three weeks since the first time she’d said it.

“Yeah?” He asked, kneeling down to her eye level. “You really think so?”

Gosalyn grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I  _ know  _ so.”

Drake grinned, pulling back and ruffling her hair before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Love ya too, Gos.” He blinked. “Uh, not to change the subject, but why are you even in here, anyway?”

“Oh, Pops saw his parents and sister’s planes coming up towards the landing strip, so he sent me to go find you.”

_ “WHAT?!  _ Oh, oh,  _ god,  _ they’re here, this- this is really happening, I-!”

“Dad!” Gosalyn interrupted, grabbing either side of his face and squishing his cheeks together. “Dad,  _ breathe.  _ It’s gonna be  _ fine.  _ They’re gonna love you.”

“But-!”

“And if they don’t, then I’ll beat them up!” 

Drake blinked, then snorted, trailing off into laughter as the frankly ridiculous idea of his ten-year-old daughter taking on three fully grown ducks made him realize how silly he was being. 

“Fanks, Gos’lyn,” he managed.

Gosalyn smiled, releasing his face and taking his hand when he stood up.

“Now, come on, Mr. Mallard. Time to face the music.”

“Gee, what happened to making me feel better?” Drake muttered as she pulled him towards the airfield. 

By the time they got out there, three biplanes had landed in the lanes of McDuck Airfield- two orange, one bubblegum pink one. A small crowd had formed in front of them, and as they got closer Drake realized that it was made up of four people: two women, Launchpad, and a duck that was somehow even  _ bigger  _ than Launchpad.

“Man, maybe Huey really  _ was  _ onto something with that theory about Pops being descended from giants...” Gosalyn murmured before clearing her throat. “Uh, hey, Pops! I found Dad!”

All four of them turned toward them, and Drake suddenly kinda wished he’d taken a few smoke bombs with him.

“Drake, Gos!” Launchpad greeted as they walked up to the group. He went to Drake’s side, putting an arm around his shoulders. “Guys, this is my partner, Drake Mallard.”

“H-Hi,” Drake managed, willing himself not to double over and vomit all over his own feet. 

“And this is our daughter, Gosalyn!” 

“Hey,” Gosalyn said, waving at them. 

“Well, hello, dear! Aren’t you just the cutest thing!” An older woman whose red curls were streaked with gray said. Drake assumed she was Launchpad’s mother, based on the fact that she was the only person here shorter than him who wasn’t also a child.

“Aw, thanks! It’s a gift.”

“Modest too,” Drake teased. Gosalyn responded by sticking her tongue out at him, and he stuck his out at her right back before hearing someone in front of him clear their throat, flinching when he realized that it was Launchpad’s giant of a father.

“Oh, uh,” Launchpad removed his arm from Drake’s shoulders, gesturing at his father. “Honey, this is my father, Ripcord McQuack!”

“Um, I, er,” Drake swallowed, then forced a smile as he held out a hand to the bigger man. “H-Hello, sir, it’s- it’s very nice to meet  _ yoooou ack!” _

Drake suddenly found himself hoisted into the air, all the air escaping his lungs as Ripcord nearly crushed him in a hug.

“Now, now, none of that, son! This is a huggin’ family!”

“Urk... I can see that now...”

Drake gasped when Ripcord, put him down, leaning on the giant man as he caught his breath.

“Whoops! Sorry, Drake, guess I got carried away, huh?”

Drake forced a chuckle, looking up at Ripcord.

“W-Well, at least now I know where Launchpad gets it, huh?”

Ripcord let out a boisterous belly laugh, and Launchpad’s mother was also giggling as she walked towards him.

“Well, he’s always been a chip off the old block.”

“Ah-heh, yeah. Oh, uh, Drake, this is my mother, Birdie McQuack.”

“H-Hello, Birdie  _ oof!” _

Birdie somehow managed to lift him off the ground as well, though her hug was quite a bit gentler than her husband’s. 

“Wonderful to meet you, dearie!”

“Uh, yeah, you too, m-ma’am.”

“Oh, don’t start with that!” She chastised lightly as she put him back down. “We’re practically family now, after all!”

Drake had to try very hard not to visibly flinch.

“Ah, uh, heh, y-yeah, I- I suppose so.”

“In fact,  _ since  _ we’re almost family...” Birdie started, reaching for the small fanny pack on her hip.

“Oh, no, Ma, please, not the-!”

“I think you should get to take a look at Launchpad’s baby pictures!” Birdie finished, holding out an old-fashioned roll of pictures and letting it unfurl as Launchpad groaned. Looking closer revealed that they were of a yellow-feathered, red-headed little duckling in a tiny pilot’s costume, although the photos themselves were a little washed out. “Now, this is him after he crash-landed in his crib, and this is right after he crashed in his high chair, oh! And this is after he crashed his first soap-box racer!”

“Oh my god,” Drake managed through barely held back giggles, covering his beak with his mouth.

“Augh, Ma, come _ on!  _ Do you really have to show that to  _ everyone?” _

“Yes, I do. I had the cutest baby in the whole world, and the whole world deserves to know about it.”

Launchpad rolled his eyes, and Drake snickered before walking over to his partner, taking his hand, and pulling him down so he could kiss his cheek.

“You were, in fact, the cutest baby in the whole world, dear.”

Launchpad perked up slightly, then paused when someone cleared their throat behind him.

“Oh, uh, right!” He turned around, gesturing at the tall, pink-clad woman with curly red chin-length hair that faded to blonde at the ends. “Drake, this is my little sister Loopey! Loopey, this is Drake Mallard.”

“Ah, so this is the famous Drake Mallard,” Loopey said, smiling as she folded her arms across her chest.

Drake blinked, arching an eyebrow.

“Uh, famous?” He’d briefly done some stunt-work before the failed Darkwing movie, sure, but he wouldn’t have called himself famous unless...

Oh, god, she totally recognized him from the tabloids back in the day, didn’t she? Well, it was nice knowing what hope for the future felt like, but there was no way that Launchpad’s parents wouldn’t object if they knew that-!

“Oh, sure! Launchpad here talks about ya all the time.”

Drake blinked, bill spreading into a small grin as relief coursed through him.

“Oh, does he, now?”

“You’d better believe it! You were practically all he talked about til you guys got together! Always ‘Drake said this,’ ‘Drake did that,’ ‘Drake’s so cool,’ ‘Drake’s so handsome’ mmph!”

Drake bit back a laugh as a very red-faced Launchpad covered his sister’s beak with his hand, chuckling sheepishly.

“Ah-heh, I, uh...”

“I love you too, big guy,” Drake told him. Launchpad blinked, then beamed at him.

“Awww...” Ripcord and Birdie cooed.

Behind him, Gosalyn gagged, and he turned to give her a look, to which she batted her eyes innocently.

“Aw, thanks, babe- eh? Ack!” Launchpad practically tore his hand away from his sister’s bill. “Ew! Ma, Loopey licked me!”

“Loopey, don’t lick your brother.”

“But Maaaaa, he put his hand right on my beak! What was I supposed to do,  _ not  _ lick it?”

“Yes, that is exactly what you’re supposed to- wait, you’re both adults, why am I getting involved in this?”

Drake and Gosalyn both snickered as Launchpad and Loopey chuckled sheepishly. Loopey then cleared her throat, strolling over to Gosalyn and kneeling down.

“And you must be the famous Miss Gosalyn, right?”

“Yup!” She grinned at her. “You know, I’ve never had an aunt before.”

Loopey giggled.

“Well, I’ve never had a niece before, so we’ll figure it out together! I love your hair, by the way!”

“Oh, thanks! Takes those two forever to do anything with it, though,” Gosalyn said, jerking her thumb in Drake and Launchpad’s direction. “Your brother’s pretty good at brushing curly hair, but he’s hopeless at doing anything else.”

“That’s fair,” Launchpad admitted. Loopey snorted.

“Yeah, well, I’ll bet you I can handle it.”

Gosalyn blinked, then arched an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest.

“Really.”

“Yeah, really.”

“Hm... then you’d better put your money where your mouth is, sister!” Gosalyn declared as she grabbed Loopey’s hand and pulling her toward the house. “Bye, Dad, bye, Pops!”

“See ya later, kiddo!” Launchpad called.

“Er, are we gonna get back into the house and find our daughter with all her hair burned off?” Drake asked.

“Oh, no, Loop’s a licensed cosmetologist!”

“Your... your sister is a licensed cosmetologist  _ and  _ stunt pilot?”

“My sister’s interests are as many and varied as the kinds of vehicles I’ve crashed, babe,” Launchpad replied as he put his arm around Drake and turned back towards his parents. “So, how was the flight over?”

“Oh, fine, dear, although your father’s plane was making an odd noise that I’ll have to check up on.”

“Aw, come on, Bird, it’s probably nothing! Planes make weird noises all the time!”

“Yes, and it’s always for a reason! Remember Bahia in ‘84?”

Ripcord winced, chuckling sheepishly.

“Ah-heh... geez, a guy crashes into the Bay of All Saints  _ one  _ time...”

Despite still feeling almost painfully anxious, Drake chuckled, rubbing his arm as they started walking back toward the house.

“So, tell us! Just how did you two meet, hm?”

Drake flinched, a feeling of dread creeping up in his gut.

“Er... we... we met on the set of the... the Darkwing Duck movie.”

“Oh! I didn’t know they were making a movie. Launchpad, I would have thought you’d have told us all about it!” Ripcord said.

Drake felt Launchpad wince.

“Uh, well... it... it kinda got cancelled the day we met.”

“Oh, no! What happened, dear?”

“The, uh... the funding fell through,” Drake lied as smoothly as he possibly could, deciding that now was  _ not  _ the time to explain to his future in-laws how he’d blown up his former hero and role model.

“Ah, well, that’s too bad.”

“It was probably for the best. It... was actually pretty terrible, heh.”

“Yeah, and Drake should know, he was going to play the lead role!”

“Oh! You’re an actor, Drake?”

Drake winced, chuckling nervously.

“Uh, well, I-I  _ was,  _ but- but after the movie fell through, I decided I should probably get a more...  _ stable  _ job. I’ve actually been working for a, a small government agency for a couple of months now.”

That wasn’t a complete lie- S.H.U.S.H  _ was  _ partially funded by the U.S. government. 

And several other governments. 

But Launchpad’s parents didn’t really need to know that- in fact, he was pretty sure he’d get fired if he told them.

Or worse.

“Ah, well, that’s a good, stable job to have! Course, I wouldn’t know what that’s like- I’ve been a stunt pilot since I was old enough to fly a plane!”

“Oh, really?”

“Yup! In fact, that’s how I met my Birdie here!” Ripcord started, putting one giant hand on his wife’s shoulder and pulling her close. “See, back in ‘81, I entered this race in Morocco, and as part of the contest we had to work with a randomly assigned mechanic, and wouldn’t you know it, I got assigned to this little lady here!”

“Yeah, but as I remembered it, you weren’t too impressed with me, were ya?”

“To be fair, it took a minute for me to figure out where ya were,” Ripcord replied. “Still, I asked her if she really thought she could keep up with me- I was twenty and stupid in my defense- and she said- what did you say, hon?”

“I said, ‘you don’t scare me, big boy! Just listen to me and do exactly what I say, and you’ll leave all these suckers in the dust!’”

Ripcord laughed, then picked up his wife, who yelped and giggled when he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“Then she jumped up and punched me in the shoulder, and I’ve been smitten ever since.”

Drake laughed as they walked into the manor, the pit of nervousness in his gut shrinking just a little. 

What had he been so nervous about? Like Gosalyn had said, this was  _ Launchpad’s  _ family they were talking about. There was no way that someone as sweet and loving as Launchpad could have come from anything but the sweetest, most loving people.

Right?

“Dad!” He heard Gosalyn call as they turned into the entrance hall. “Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad!”

“What?” Drake started as Gosalyn ran up to them and started bouncing up and down. “What, what, what, what?”

“Look!” She said emphatically as she gestured up to her hair, which had been braided and twisted up into two buns in the back. “Look at what Aunt Loopey did with my hair!”

“Wow, those are some great... er...” Drake glanced up at Loopey. “What’s this hairstyle called?”

“Space buns,” Loopey said, spinning her blowdryer around her finger like a pistol before blowing on it. “All in a day’s work.”

“Heh, well, I’m just impressed you managed to do  _ anything  _ with her hair. Er, could I maybe get a few tips?”

“Sure! Always happy to help out when it comes to hair care.”

“Dad, Aunt Loopey is  _ so cool!  _ Did you know she was a finalist in the World Fencing Championship’s women’s sabre division last year?”

Drake blinked, eyebrows rising as he looked up at Loopey.

“Wh- really?”

“Yep! Got the medal to prove it and everything.” She narrowed her eyes, shaking her fist at the sky. “I’ll get you next year,  _ Olha.” _

Drake blinked, then looked back at his boyfriend, who simply shrugged.

“Many and varied, babe.”

Birdie chuckled, then cleared her throat.

“So, Launchpad, where’s Mr. McDuck? I wanted to ask him how development on the McX is going.”

“Oh, uh, he and the family are out for the evening. Something about a magic harp and the lost citystate of Troy?”

“Without you? Wouldn’t they need a pilot?”

“Oh, right, I forgot to tell you! Mr. McDee’s niece came back! Turns out she was stuck on the moon, heh.”

“The... the moon?”

Launchpad shrugged.

“Yeah, I don’t get it either, but things seem to be going well!”

Drake chuckled, shaking his head as he walked over to Launchpad’s side.

“Speaking of which, what about you, Drake?”

“Eh?”

“What’s your family like, dear?”

Drake froze, eyes going wide and heart dropping into his gut.

Of all the questions she could have asked, that was probably the one Drake was the least prepared for. 

“I... um...”

What was he supposed to say? What  _ could  _ he say? That his mother was an emotionally abusive, self-centered alcoholic and his father was a neglectful enabler? That he’d coped with all of it and his dysphoria by becoming an alcoholic himself? That the Darkwing movie had been his one shot at real financial independence and he  _ blew it?  _ That he’d been publicly disowned the second he tried to stand up for himself? 

That he was still terrified every second of every day that he’d become to Gosalyn what his mother was to him?

That-!

“...ad? Dad!”

Drake snapped to attention, heart thundering in his chest as he took in the concerned faces of everyone around him. Shame burned hot in his stomach, and he swallowed, turning his gaze to the floor.

“Drake?” Launchpad asked in that sweet, gentle voice he always used whenever this happened. “Drake, honey, are you okay?”

“N... Never better!” He declared with forced cheer. “Just, uh- I, I should check on the roast!”

“The roast?”

“Yes! I’m- I’m making a roast for dinner, remember?”

“Well, yeah, but you said that wasn’t gonna be ready til six-!”

“Ah-hah, well, that’s- the, the oven here is pretty fancy, it- it might cook faster or something!” Drake started briskly walking towards the kitchen. “Besides, I... I forgot to make dessert, yeah! Can’t- can’t have a nice dinner without a nice dessert, right?”

“Drake-!”

“Sorry about this, guys! Um, don’t mind me, just... talk amongst yourselves!”

With that, Drake rushed into the kitchen, ignoring the sound of his name being called.

* * *

“Sugar, butter, flour... good thing this place has an industrial freezer, heh...”

Drake sighed as he got the mixing bowl out, stretching his arms over his head before shaking his hands out.

“Alright, let’s get this started.”

Despite having been adamantly opposed to picking up more “girly” hobbies as a kid, he’d always loved baking. It had been one of his favorite parts of the holiday season, because he got to spend so much time in the kitchen with Nana Mallard, who never once treated him like a burden, or like he was annoying, and they’d bake cakes and pies and make gingerbread houses and she’d let him use the mixer even though his mom said no.

He missed that sweet old woman.

Even when he’d gotten older and realized that things like cooking and sewing weren’t “girl’s stuff” but rather important life skills, baking had remained one of his favorite, non-Darkwing Duck-related hobbies. He didn’t have to think while mixing up the ingredients for the dough, didn’t have to carefully consider every step while cutting in butter or adding ice water a tablespoon at a time. 

All he had to do was remember the steps his grandmother had taught him.

Once he’d gotten the dough into a ball shape, he took it out of the bowl and put it on a lightly floured sheet of plastic he’d prepared, forming it into a disc before flouring it and placing another sheet of plastic on it. He grabbed his rolling pin, pausing to look at the in-progress pie crust.

He could do this. He could still do this much.

He couldn’t explain to his future in-laws why he wasn’t talking to his parents, or why he couldn’t drink, or why he still had nightmares about bottles of hot sauce chasing him down the halls because his hands were screaming.

He couldn’t explain all that, because then they’d know just how  _ broken  _ he was.

But he could do this. He could make an absolutely  _ delicious  _ strawberry pie, and they’d be so impressed that they’d have no objections to him becoming a part of their family.

He could do this. 

Drake grit his teeth as he pressed the pin to the dough ball.

“I’ll show them. I’ll show them just what a  _ goddamn delight  _ I am.”

Once the dough was at the right thickness, Drake took off the plastic wrap and placed it into the pie tin he’d buttered earlier, molding it into the crevices before placing a piece of plastic on top of it and placing it in the refrigerator.

“Sugar, butter, flour, don’t let me down,” he murmured as he went to wash his hands. Once all the flour and dough was swirling down the drain, he sighed, walking over to the strawberries and grabbing a knife to cut them with. 

“My, something sure does smell good in here!”

“Oh, uh, hi, Birdie. That’s- that’s probably the roast, heh. Still probably another half hour or so on that. Which will be just in time to put the pie-crust in the oven.”

“Well, now, Launchpad never told us you can bake!”

“Oh, I, uh, I haven’t really had time to- to bake much recently.” Or a kitchen to do much baking in- he’d had to swear up and down to Mrs. Beakley that he’d leave her kitchen in better shape than he’d found it for her to agree to let him cook tonight. “It’s- it’s an old hobby of mine.”

“An old hobby, huh? So I’m guessing you’re not looking for any help?”

Drake chuckled, shaking his head.

“That’s very sweet of you to offer, Birdie, but no, I’m fine. Just go ahead and relax, I’ll take care of everything  _ OW!” _

“Drake?!” Birdie cried. “What happened, are you alright?!”

“A-Ah, I’m- I’m fine, just- just nicked my finger, that’s all! Nothing to worry about.”

“Oh, well, let me take a look at it,” Birdie started as she walked towards him. Drake resisted the urge to wince, instead forcing a smile as he stepped back.

“N-No, that’s, that’s alright, it’s really-!”

Birdie held out her hand, giving him a look, and for some reason Drake had the sense that he was not going to win this argument. He swallowed, then held out his injured finger, which she inspected thoroughly.

“Hm, well, it doesn’t look  _ too  _ bad...” She reached into her fanny pack, pulling out a tiny tube and a wrapped band-aid. “Lemme just get that all cleaned up for ya.”

Drake blinked.

“Er... do you just- ah,” he winced when the antibiotic cream was applied, “do you just carry that stuff around with you all the time?”

“Yeah, old habit from when Launchpad and Loop were kids,” she told him as she finished putting on the bandage. “There ya go, all better!”

Despite his nerves, Drake couldn’t help but smile at her.

“Well, um, thank you, Birdie.”

“Oh, no problem, sweetheart!”

Drake froze, blood turning to ice in his veins. 

He did something wrong. 

He’d done something wrong. He didn’t know what it was, but he had, and now she was going to yell at him, and he didn’t know how she knew but she must have known that he was useless, worthless, a burden, no good to anyone-!

“Drake?” He heard Birdie ask. “Drake, what’s wrong?”

_ “What did you do this time?”  _ His mother’s voice asked.  _ “Can’t you go one day without ruining something?” _

“I-I’m sorry,” he heard himself say, voice faraway and distorted, as if he were underwater. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry, please, I’ll- I’ll be good, please, I’m sorry!”

“What? Sweetheart, what on earth are you sorry for?”

_ “Tell me what you did wrong. Maybe that way you’ll actually  _ learn  _ something,  _ sweetheart.”

“I-I don’t- I don’t know, I don’t know, I’m sorry, please don’t yell at me, please don’t be mad!”

“What? Drake, I’m not- I’m not  _ mad, _ I’m- well, now I’m  _ worried, _ but- what’s wrong?”

_ “What is  _ wrong  _ with you?! Is it so much to ask that you keep it together for just  _ one  _ night?!” _

Drake whimpered, stumbling back and falling onto his behind as he put his hands on either side of his head. 

“I-I don’t, I’m sorry, I-I’ll do better, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!”

He could hear distant, garbled voices, but his parents’ voices whispering in his ears drowned them out as he closed his eyes.

_ “For heavens’ sake, D̴̑̓͒̀͜r̷̨̗͊̓a̶̜̟̲̺̱̓k̵͓͖̈́̌̈́̑e̵̖̜̻̮͂̾͝, can’t you just leave your mother alone? God knows she drinks enough as it is...” _

“I-I’m sorry, Dad...”

_ “What have I told you about hitting, D̴̑̓͒̀͜r̷̨̗͊̓a̶̜̟̲̺̱̓k̵͓͖̈́̌̈́̑e̵̖̜̻̮͂̾͝? No, it doesn’t  _ matter  _ what the therapist did, you don’t get to hit her! Just do what she says!” _

“I-I’m sorry, Mom...”

_ “Why can’t you be more like your brother?” _

_ “Why can’t you just be  _ normal?”

_ “Why do you always make me have to be the bad guy?” _

_ “Why did I ever even give birth to you?! I should have never told your father to turn around, you-!” _

“Drake?” A familiar voice asked gently, cutting through all the noise. “Drake, honey, can you hear me?”

_ Launchpad. _

Drake reached out in front of him, hand colliding with something solid and warm- Launchpad’s chest. He whimpered, clutching at his boyfriend’s shirt as he trembled.

“Okay, good, that’s good. Drake, can you talk to me? Can you tell me what’s going on?”

“I-I did- did something. Something wrong.”

“Okay. Can you tell me what you think you did wrong?”

Drake shook his head.

“D-Dunno, dunno what, but- but she, she said sweetheart, Mom says that when- when she’s mad and-!”

“Drake. Drake, your mom isn’t here. She’s not here, okay? You’re safe, you’re at McDuck Manor and you’re safe.”

Drake gulped down a breath, then another.

“She... she’s not here.”

“No, she’s not.”

“I-I’m safe.”

“You’re safe.”

Slowly, the world stopped spinning quite so fast, exhaustion creeping in where panic had once been. He took a few deep breaths, then opened his eyes.

Which was when he realize that pretty much everyone who was still in the manor (and wasn’t a ghost) was staring at him.

“Dad?” Gosalyn asked in a quiet, shaky voice (had he scared her he had he had oh god oh god). “Dad, what... what  _ happened?” _

Drake swallowed, shame setting in as Launchpad helped him to his feet. 

“I... I...”

“Are you alright?” Birdie asked, face the perfect picture of concern. “You just- just went so pale all of a sudden, and started apologizing for no reason, and-? Oh, dear, did I do something wrong?”

Drake froze, eyes going wide once more.

She... she thought it was her fault.

She thought she did something wrong.

She... didn’t blame Drake?

“I-I...”

They weren’t pretending. They really  _ were  _ worried about him.

They... they cared?

“I don’t...”

They cared about him?

“I...”

But... why?

“I don’t understand,” he finally whispered, voice shaking.

“Drake? Drake, what don’t you-?”

“I-I can’t- I can’t do this.” He turned on his heel, bolting out of the kitchen as his boyfriend and daughter called after him.

* * *

Hall bathrooms were nice.

They tended to be on the small side, with no windows, and they didn’t have bathtubs or showers or anything but they still usually had tiling somewhere, which meant that sound would bounce off them and drown out outside noises.

Perfect.

Especially if, like Drake Mallard, you were currently in the midst of a minor meltdown. 

Why did he have to be the most embarrassing living being on the planet?

“Duh... deep, deep breaths,” he tried to tell himself as he rocked back and forth on the floor. He then inhaled deeply, then exhaled, then inhaled, then exhaled, then started to inhale again before he realized he was breathing way too fast and would probably start hyperventilating at this rate. 

He groaned, shaking his head and flapping his hands before finally just reaching up and grabbing the hand towel next to the sink. He screamed into it as loudly as he could, the sound reverberating off the tiles, and that finally seemed to do the trick as all the tension in his body slowly leaked out of him. He slumped against the sink, head throbbing as the world finally rebalanced.

Which was right about when the shame set in. 

_ Stupid. Stupid, useless, worthless, not good enough, not good enough for anyone, not good at  _ all-!

There was a knock at the door, and Drake jumped, nearly hitting his head on the sink.

“Drake? Drake, are you in there?”

Drake swallowed, the sound of Launchpad’s voice filling him with dread. He staggered to his feet, rubbing his arm as he reached for the door.

_ Time to face the music. _

He took a deep breath, then opened the door, coming face to face with his boyfriend’s chest.

“Oh,  _ honey,”  _ Launchpad breathed before pulling him into a hug. Drake whimpered, pushing him away and shaking his head.

“Don’t- don’t do that, please don’t do that, just... please just get it over with it.”

“Huh? Get- get what over with?”

Drake swallowed, turning his gaze to his feet.

“Just- just break up with me already, okay? Rip off the band-aid.”

“What?! I’m not breaking up with you!”

Drake blinked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

“You’re... you’re not?”

“Of course not! Why would I do that, I love you!”

“But I- Launchpad, I just- just screamed at your mother for no reason!”

“It wasn’t for no reason, and I know it wasn’t on purpose.” Launchpad sighed, pulling Drake close again. “Are you okay?”

“... I... might’ve sorta had a tiny... meltdown.”

“Yeah, I figured when I heard the screaming. You wanna talk about it?”

“About the meltdown or the anxiety attack?”

“Both. Either.”

Drake sighed, pressing his cheek against his boyfriend’s stomach.

“I... I was cutting up strawberries for the pie I was making, and your mom came into the kitchen. I accidentally cut my finger, and she bandaged it up, and when I thanked her she called me sweet-!” Drake winced. “Th... that word, and... I just, just freaked out, because my mother always called me that, especially when she was yelling at me and I... I’m sorry.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Launchpad said softly, petting his hair. “It wasn’t your fault. No one’s mad at you.”

“I-I know, but... I just...” Drake sighed. “I still feel bad about it, because- your parents really  _ are  _ wonderful, big guy, probably some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, but...”

“... but what?”

“... you and I come from really different families, LP. I guess... I guess I’m just trying to grapple with the idea that- that people like you and me can  _ have  _ good parents.”

Launchpad was quiet for a moment, but just when Drake was about to try and backtrack he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

“I’m sorry, Drake. I guess I never really thought about that.”

Drake snorted softly.

“That’s probably because you have good parents who love and accept you just the way you are.”

“Yeah, well, that’s probably because it’s kinda easy for them to love and accept me just the way I am, since they’re like you and me.”

Drake blinked, eyebrows rising as he looked up at his boyfriend.

“W... Wait, really?”

“Yeah! Er, well, my mom’s like you and me, my dad’s like me, Gos, and Loopey, but still! You didn’t notice?”

“I... I guess not. I didn’t... I guess it never occurred to me that...”

“That my parents could be ND too?” Launchpad finished.

“Well, yeah. I mean, outside of Sir Anthony Hoppins I don’t think I really know of any older people like you and me.”

Launchpad laughed, shaking his head.

“Well, they are, and they’re also pretty worried about you.”

Drake winced, turning his gaze back down to his feet.

“You don’t have to tell them anything if you don’t want to. You can just say it’s personal, and they’ll let it go. But they don’t hate you, Drake- they’re just worried.”

Drake swallowed, clutching at his boyfriend’s shirt.

“I... I think I’d rather they knew, but... but I don’t think I can talk about it. Not yet.” He glanced up at Launchpad. “Could... could you tell them?”

“You sure?”

Drake nodded.

“Y-Yeah, but... could- could you leave out the part about the, um, the drinking- mine, I mean? And, and don’t tell them I got disowned- just that we’re estranged.”

Launchpad nodded, pressing a kiss to Drake’s forehead before letting him go and taking his hand. He silently led Drake back to the den, where everyone was waiting, squeezing his hand before clearing his throat.

“Dad!” Gosalyn cried, jumping off the couch and running over to them.

“Oh, Gos, I’m oof!”

Gosalyn all but tackled him in a hug, nearly knocking him right off his feet.

“Are you okay?” She asked, eyes wide with concern. “Grandma Birdie came and told us you started panicking, and then you  _ were  _ panicking, and then you ran away, and then-!”

“Gosalyn,” Drake interrupted gently, deciding to put the question of “Grandma Birdie” on the backburner for now, “Gos, I’m alright.”

“Are you sure?”

No, actually, he wasn’t at all sure, but he also didn’t want to explain the long and painful story of his mother’s abuse to his ten-year-old. 

“Yes, honey, I’m sure. I’m sorry I scared you, Gosalyn.”

“S’okay. As long as you’re alright...” 

Drake smiled at her, kneeling down and picking her up.

“Yeah. I’m alright.”

Birdie stepped forward, clearing her throat.

“Drake? Do... do you want to talk about what happened in the kitchen?”

Drake flinched, looking away, and Launchpad stepped forward. 

“A-Actually, uh, Ma? Can I talk to you and Pa in the garage?”

Birdie and Ripcord exchanged a look, but nodded, going with Launchpad to the garage. Drake sighed, carrying Gosalyn over to the couch and sitting down.

“... sooooo,” Loopey started after a minute, making Drake jump when she plopped down on the other end of the couch from him, “guessing you had some pretty awful parents, huh?”

“Wha? How, how did you guess that?”

Loopey shrugged.

“A lot of the people I hang out with were in similar situations. I’m one of the lucky ones- my parents were totally cool when I told them that I’m a girl.”

Drake blinked.

“Oh.  _ Oh!  _ Well, uh, good for you- I mean, my parents never really took it all that well  _ I mean uh!” _

Loopey snorted, shaking her head.

“Oh, relax, dude, I already guessed.”

Drake blinked again. 

“You... you did? How? I-I thought that I-!”

“Oh, you pass perfectly fine, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Drake let out a sigh of relief, then arched an eyebrow.

“Then... how did you know?”

Loopey gave him a look.

“Your initials are DW and you’re the only person who’s as much of a Darkwing Duck fan as my brother. Either your parents were prophets or you took the opportunity to be  _ incredibly  _ dorky when you changed your name.”

Drake opened his mouth to dispute that, then closed it.

“... dang it, I was really hoping that no one would notice.” He paused. “Waaaaait, how did you know what my initials are?”

“Oh, Launchpad told me. Like I said, you were basically all he talked about for months on end.” Loopey paused, her expression turning a little serious. “I was actually a little worried, you know.”

“Worried? About what?”

Loopey sighed, shaking her head.

“Look, my brother is a sweet guy. Gentle, kind, caring- he’s probably the best person I know. But he also has a tendency to fall in love hard, fast, and with the wrong people. People that- that don’t stick around, who only stay when it’s convenient for them or relevant to their personal journey. And sure, Launchpad falls in love the way he crashes planes- easily, smoothly, and with minimal damage on all sides, but I know it hurts him when they all inevitably leave him.”

“I... I didn’t know that...”

“Yeah, well, the big guy never has an unkind word to say about anyone. He’s always happy to help, always happy to listen, happy to stay. He loves with everything he’s got, even if he gets hurt in the process.” Loopey paused. “So when he started telling me about this cool, brave, awesome dude he met that likes Darkwing Duck as much as he does, I figure, ‘here we go again.’ And I just wait for the other shoe to drop, hoping it won’t be so bad this time.”

Drake swallowed, looking down at Gosalyn, who seemed as worried as he felt.

“And then you guys finally started going out, and  _ then  _ Launchpad calls all of us and tells us that you’re buying a  _ house  _ and adopting a  _ kid  _ together, and I realize that this is it, this is the big one. This is the one where my brother gets his heart shattered, the one that he might not bounce back from.”

“I-I would never-!”

“And then I actually meet you, and I realize that oh, this dork is my brother’s  _ soulmate.” _

Drake blinked.

“Wha?” He managed as Gosalyn started giggling. Loopey smiled at him.

“I took one look at the two of you and I realized that you love Launchpad just as much as he loves you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone look at him the way you do, Drake.” She winked at him. “So for what it’s worth, you’ve definitely got the Loopey McQuack seal of approval.”

Despite how badly this night had gone so far, Drake couldn’t help but smile at her.

“Thanks, Loopey. And, uh, for what it’s worth, you pass pretty well too.”

Loopey snorted.

“Except my voice, you mean?”

“Wha- no, no, y-your- your voice is fine!”

“Oh, please, I know I don’t exactly have the most ‘traditionally feminine’ voice or whatever. You probably clocked me the second I opened my mouth, right?”

“No, no, I didn’t-!”

“Draaaaaake,” she singsonged.

“I didn’t!”

“Draaaaacob.” 

“I didn’t-! Wait, what the- oh, whatever! I swear, I didn’t!”

“Hm, well, lemme just roll a perception check on that.”

Drake blinked, looking over at her just as she rolled a die on the coffee table.

“Huh?”

“Oh, look at that!” Loopey said as she picked up the die and showed it to them. “Nat 20.”

“Why do you-?”

“I rolled a nat 20, Dracob, you have to tell meeeeeeeee!”

“... first, Drake isn’t short for- for Dracob, and second, why do you have a d20?”

“Oh, I DM on the weekends for my friend group. Anyway! Nat 20, you have to dooooo it!”

“I...”

“She  _ did  _ roll a nat 20, Dad,” Gosalyn told him, grinning from ear to ear.

“Whose side are you on?”

“Aunt Loopey’s.”

Drake rolled his eyes.

“Betrayed by my own flesh and blood.”

“I’m adopted. Or, well, I’m  _ being  _ adopted.”

“Well I’m not having any  _ other _ offspring.” He grimaced, then sighed. “Okay! Okay, so I might-  _ might-  _ have suspected, but! I didn’t- well, I didn’t want to  _ assume-!” _

Loopey snorted, shaking her head.

“Assume away, my dude, it’s no big. If I really cared about passing one hundred percent, I woulda done something about it by now. It doesn’t matter that much to me what people think, I know I’m awesome.”

“Really? I still can’t make myself go to a public pool without a shirt on, and I haven’t needed a binder in-!”

There was a sudden crash from the direction of the garage, making all three of them jump.

“Uh... what was that?”

“Well, if I had to guess, I’d say that Launchpad just finished telling Ma and Pa about your parents. Uh, I’d cover Gos’ ears if I were you.”

“Huh? Why would I-?”

The door to the kitchen from the outside flew open.

_ “I’LL KILL THEM!” _

Drake quickly covered Gosalyn’s ears.

“N-Now, Birdie, I know you’re mad- so am I, believe me, but you can’t yell about murdering a sitting senator and his wife-!”

“Well they  _ deserve  _ it! God, I cannot  _ stand  _ people like that! You know how many times I had to dodge that exact kind of mom at PTA meetings? Always ‘oh,  _ my  _ son is just  _ flourishing  _ now that we’ve got him spending as much time doing abusive therapies as an adult does working! I’m totally not an ableist  _ bitch  _ that can’t stand the thought of my child not being exactly like me! I can’t be, I have an inspirationally-disadvantaged child who will always overcome every obstacle because he  _ has  _ to or else he’s a failure!’”

“I know, sweetie, I know- why are you getting your phone out?”

“I’m looking up how to send a complaint about a senator to his office!”

“Er, well, that’s nice, dear, but we’re not registered to vote in this state.”

“Oh, right. Launchpad! Write this down, would ya?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because I need  _ you  _ to send a complaint to Senator Mallard’s office! You’re registered to vote here, right?”

“Uh, well, yeah, but I’m pretty sure Senator Mallard already knows I don’t like him-!”

Birdie gave him a look, and Launchpad audibly gulped.

“Uh, yes ma’am.”

“Good! Nobody treats my future son-in-law like that, not while I’m around-!”

It was at that point that Drake, overwhelmed with too many emotions to possibly name, burst out laughing, sides shaking as tears slid down his face.

“Oh, Drake...” He heard Birdie say quietly as she walked over to him. She put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, honey, I didn’t know!”

“It’s- heh, it’s, it’s okay, I... I’m actually kind of happy now,” Drake started as he wiped at his eyes.

Birdie blinked, furrowing her brow.

“Wha?”

“Well, just- not, not a lot of people have ever really gotten all that upset about- about what happened to me.” He pointed at Launchpad and Gosalyn. “Actually, it’s pretty much just been these two. It’s... it’s kind of nice to have people care.”

Birdie’s expression softened, and she smiled, pulling him in for a hug. 

“Well, even if  _ they  _ didn’t care, I certainly do.”

Tears pricked at Drake’s eyes for a whole new reason, and he tentatively hugged her back, still afraid that if he held on too tightly, all of this, everything that was good in his life now would just disappear.

Then he smelt something... odd.

“Hey, does anyone else smell something burning?” Gosalyn asked.

Drake blinked, then gasped.

“Oh god the  _ roast!” _

* * *

“You sure that you don’t wanna just say goodbye to them in the house, kiddo?”

Gosalyn nodded, clearly fighting a losing battle against sleep in Launchpad’s arms. Drake chuckled, wiping off a little bit of pizza sauce that was still on her bill.

“Okay, well, if you’re sure.” Drake placed his hand on the small of Launchpad’s arm, walking with him over to the hangar. “It was really lovely to meet all of you. Er, sorry about dinner.”

“Oh, don’t sweat it, dude, pizza is awesome!” Loopey assured him.

“Yeah, pizza...” Gosalyn cheered sleepily, waving her fist in the air before snuggling up against Launchpad’s shoulder. Loopey chuckled, reaching over and ruffling Gosalyn’s hair. 

“Great meeting you, kiddo. You have my number, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Perfect. I’m around if you need me, okay?” She looked over at Drake. “You still have the hair care tips I gave ya?”

Drake held up his phone, where he’d recorded all of her tips in the notes app.

“Yup.”

“Great, those should help you out. Oh, and one more thing!”

“Huh? What-?”

Loopey was suddenly at his side, one arm around his shoulders and the other holding out her phone.

“Say ‘trans rights!’”

“Wha-?”

The camera flashed, leaving him seeing spots as she moved back. 

“Great picture, DW! What’s your Wingstagram handle, I’ll tag you!”

“Er, I’d- I’d need a Wingstagram account first. Um, what do ‘trans rights’ have to do with anything...?”

Loopey blinked, then tilted her head a bit.

“Wow, you’re not up to snuff on slang at  _ all, _ are you?”

Drake flushed, grinning sheepishly.

“Er, well, no... for a number of reasons...”

“Eh, it’s cool, dude, I’ll send ya a primer later.” She walked up to Launchpad, tugging him down for a hug. “Later, dingus.”

“Safe flight, goofus.”

She laughed, letting go and taking a few steps back before the two of them did a strange handshake that appeared to involve a high five, a fist bump, and wiggling their fingers as they made airplane noises. She did finger guns at him as Ripcord and Birdie walked up to them.

“Bye, Gosalyn. It was wonderful meeting you, sweetie.”

“Mm... bye, Grandpa Ripcord and Grandma Birdie. Glad I have grandparents again...” Gosalyn yawned, snuggling into Launchpad again as she finally surrendered to sleep.

Ripcord grinned from ear to ear, and Birdie did this thing with her hands that was half-flapping, half fanning her eyes.

“Oh, I can’t believe I’m a  _ grandmother!”  _ She whisper-squealed before clearing her throat and turning her attention to Drake. He held out his arms, though still found himself grunting when she pulled him down for a hug. “It was wonderful meeting you as well, Drake.”

“Oh, you... you too, Birdie.” 

She smiled at him as she released him, and Drake smiled back before startling when Ripcord patted him on the back with one of his giant hands.

“See ya, Drake. Keep our Paddy out of trouble, yeah?”

Drake chuckled nervously, deciding it was probably not the best idea to inform Ripcord that he and Launchpad’s relationship was kind of based on them rushing into trouble together.

“I-I’ll do my best- wait,  _ Paddy?” _

“Pa!” Launchpad complained. “Come on, I’m way too old for that nickname!”

“You let your sister call you ‘knick-knack-Paddy-whack’ all the time!”

“She only calls me that when she’s trying to annoy me!”

Ripcord laughed, shaking his head.

“Ma, Pa, come on! Skies won’t stay clear forever, y’know!” Loopey called from beside her plane.

“Alright, alright, hold your horses!” Birdie called back, sighing and shaking her head before pulling Launchpad down to kiss his cheek. “Bye, sweetpea. Call soon, okay?”

“Course, Ma. Love you.”

“Love you too, Launchpad.”

Ripcord pulled Launchpad into a sort of side-hug.

“I’m proud of you, son.”

“Thanks, Pa. Love you.”

“Love ya too, kid.”

Ripcord took Birdie’s hand as they walked out of the hangar; they both waved behind them as they approached their planes, and Launchpad put his arm around Drake as they watched all three of them fly away.

Then Launchpad sighed.

“Guess we’d better get this one back to the orphanage, huh?” He murmured, adjusting Gosalyn slightly.

“Fraid so. We’re already probably going to be bringing her in late.”

“I really hate that we have to keep taking her back and forth.”

“Hey, hey, it’s just for a couple more weeks, and then we’ll have our own place and we can start overnight visits!”

Launchpad still looked a little down, but smiled, jostling their daughter slightly before turning towards the car.

“So, I think that went pretty well, huh?”

“You mean except for the anxiety attack and the meltdown and the lump of coal that was once roast beef?” Drake deadpanned as he opened the passenger-side door. 

Launchpad shrugged as he finished buckling Gosalyn up and closed her door.

“Believe it or not, it went a whole lot worse the last time I introduced someone to my parents,” Launchpad told him as he got into the driver’s seat. “Course, last time there was an active volcano involved, but still.”

Drake blinked, then laughed, shaking his head.

“Well, at least it seems like they’ll be happy to welcome two new McQuacks into the family.”

Launchpad froze, eyes going wide.

“What?”

_ “Two _ new McQuacks?”

“Uh, yeah? Gosalyn’s going to be taking your last name, remember? And then I’ll take your last name when we get-!” Drake froze, realizing his mistake too late.

Because while Drake had pretty much assumed that they were going to tie the knot someday, and Launchpad’s family seemed to have already started thinking of him as an in-law, he and Launchpad had... well...

They’d never really directly  _ discussed  _ whether they were going to get married.

“Drake?” Launchpad asked in a small voice. “Do... do you really want to- to get married? To me?”

Drake flushed, stammering a bit as he fidgeted nervously.

“Er, um, well, I- I mean, I’m- we’re adopting a kid together, so I’m already planning on spending at least the- the next eight or so years with you, although hopefully it’ll be a lot longer, because I- I kinda would like to, um. Spend the rest of my life with you?”

Somehow, Launchpad’s eyes got even bigger, bill spreading into a huge smile.

“Really?”

Drake gave him a small smile.

“Yeah. Really.” He paused, then cleared his throat as he looked away. “But, uh, that- that doesn’t mean we have to- uh. To. To get married if, if you don’t want to. I mean, if we’re gonna spend the rest of our lives together, then a piece of paper is really just a formality- I mean, it’s a formality that comes with joint taxes and social security benefits and all that jazz, but we don’t have to if- I mean,  _ I’d  _ like to, even if the thought of planning a big party where we promise to love each other forever in front of everyone we know kinda makes my head spin, but-!”

Launchpad leaned in, kissing Drake’s cheek and effectively shutting him up.

“Drake McQuack, huh?” Launchpad said as he turned the key in the ignition. “I like the sound of that. Has a nice ring to it.”

Drake blinked, then smiled as they pulled out of the garage.

“By the way, what happened to your old bike?”

“Uh, nothing! It- the wind musta knocked it over, heh...”

**Author's Note:**

> And then after they dropped Gosalyn off they had an more in-depth conversation about what getting married would mean.
> 
> Yes, I know, it hasn't actually been a full week yet, but I'm excited! This is actually one of the more important parts of this story: the one where Drake gets good parenting role models (besides Mrs. Beakley). 
> 
> Also I wanted to write Loopey, because she is the BEST.
> 
> Anyway, a few notes: the thing about hot sauce is, sadly, a reference to some of the crueler forms of the already inherently cruel "therapy" known as applied behavioral analysis, or ABA. I briefly touched on this in "Goodbye Yellowbrick Road," but Drake's parents did make him see an ABA-ist as a child, and one of the methods she used to try and stop him from stimming was putting hot sauce on his tongue. 
> 
> And if this sounds at all like gay conversion therapy, that's because the same guy was involved in both! Amazing how in the case of both of these terrible things, recommending one of them can get your medical license suspended, while the other is basically the only "therapy" covered by most insurance, hm? I wonder why that is!
> 
> Er, rant over, sorry, this just... really pisses me off.
> 
> Anyway, moving on- the two parts where there's glitchy text around Drake's name is where his dead name was used in the context of those memories. The second one happened while he was a child, while the first... well, I already established that Gadwall is a dick, didn't I?
> 
> Finally, points to anyone who can spot the TAZ references! Loopey being a trans woman is at least partially inspired by the fact that I was re-listening to a few old Balance episodes while planning out this story, and I started the first episode of the Stolen Century (and was re-introduced to my wife Lup) right as I got to planning out her character. Fun fact, I imagine she sounds a lot like Penny "Gamer Girl" Parker, aka Snapcube!
> 
> I also- and if you follow me on Tumblr you probably already know this- imagine that Ripcord is voiced by Adam Scherr, aka Braun "Monster Among Men" Strowman, WWE Superstar and very large man. This is mostly because they are both big, I think it would be hilarious, and I would like to see more wrestlers branch out into less physically demanding work because wrestling is not a career with a long shelf life.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I really do love how much support my (largely self-indulgent) headcanon-verse has gotten, it warms my heart to know that people love my interpretation of the characters as much as I do!
> 
> Mainly because I'm writing them as the characters I wished I coulda had growing up lmao
> 
> Comments are always appreciated!


End file.
